First, congrats on getting your Merc stolen - probably the best thing that could have happened to you because now you can get the insurance company to pay for that new Yamaha First thing I noticed about my 4 stoke is that it trolls down way slower than the old 2 stroke Merc I had, so I wouldn't worry about having to power down. But either the 6 or 8 horse Yami will work great for you.

I bolted my motor on, spot welded the nuts to the bolts, locked the motor on the transom and also through a chain that runs through the floor and through my gas tanks. No problems so far.

Not to start another war amongst the dealers, but I got my Yami in Canada for $800 after taxes cheaper than I could find one down here. Yes, I imagine a US dealer wouldn't honor a Canadian warranty, but I have never heard of anyone ever requiring any warranty work on a Yamaha . And I could make a few trips to Canada and still be money ahead if I ever did have a problem. Exchange rate is great at the moment, I'd check it out.